Steel and Snow
by kyfigs
Summary: Arya's left Braavos in search of her family and home only to be shipped of to be a "proper lady".
1. Chapter 1

**I am in no way/shape/form a writer so go easy on me. I imagined this little scene thing which became a story in my head and wouldn't go away so here we are. Arya's 17 here, Gendry about 23. I own nothing.**

"It's what Father and the King wanted."

Bran's voice repeated itself inside Arya's mind for the hundredth time that day.

_I would've never left Braavos if I'd known this would happen_, she lied to herself.

After her failure to become No One in the order of the Faceless Men, Arya hopped the first ship back to Westeros. She had known deep down all along that she would never be able to let her family and true name go.

It had been almost 6 years since she had been back and until she heard of Lord Bran Stark in Winterfell, Arya was content with hunting down the names on her list and disposing of them one by one.

_Ser Gregor, Dunsen, Raff the Sweetling. Ser Ilyn, Ser Meryn, Queen Cersei. Volar Morghulis._

But before she could deliver justice, she had to see Bran. They were the only ones left.

Eventually she made it back to Winterfell. She felt her stomach drop when she laid her eyes on her home. It was only a shell of the great castle she remembered, but it was something.

When Arya approached the South Gate the soldiers let her through, but did not recognize her, asking her too many questions before Arya got annoyed and interrupted asking for her brother, Bran.

Not 5 minutes later flanked by 2 guards, Arya walked through the Great Hall seeing her not so little brother for the first time in nearly 8 years. Bran sat at the head of the hall with Summer by his side, looking every bit the Lord he now was.

_He looks so much like Robb_ Arya though to herself.

Bran let out a soft laugh and tears appeared in his eyes as smiled down at her from his chair. She started running and before she knew it she was on her knees hugging Bran as best she could, never wanting to let go.

After their little reunion Arya learned that they were not the only Starks left. Once Bran retook Winterfell, he searched for the others. With the help of their brother Jon, they managed to find Rickon beyond the wall on Skagos and Sansa in the Eyrie.

Sansa, Arya learned, had no plans to leave aside from seeing her family again, she was content in her marriage to Harry the Heir and being Lady Sansa of the Vail.

Arya was reunited with Rickon later that first day, she could not believe how much he had grown, he was almost as tall as her now and as wild as ever.

She remembered how puzzled he looked when they finally stood in front of one another. He was so young when it all happened.

_He probably doesn't remember us._ She thought sadly. At least he had Shaggydog.

Arya felt a pang of jealousy and hurt and the thought of her lost pet Nymeria.

"It's what Father and the King wanted."

Again the phrase jolted her out of her memories. It had been almost 5 months since her return home. 5 months Arya had with what was left of her family before they decided to sell her to the soon to be Lord of the Stormlands, Warden of the didn't want this. She NEVER wanted this. And yet it was all happening before her eyes.

"They say he is a good man, that he cares more for the small folk then himself. They say-"

"Will you shut it!" She cut the Reed girl off.

"I don't bloody care about any of it, if I'm being sold off it doesn't truly matter what I think of him now does it? I'll hear no more of the damned man!" Arya snapped at her brothers betrothed, then felt a bit guilty about it.

She had wanted to know nothing of her future husband. Who he was and what he did made no matter to Arya. _I'll be long gone before the stupid wedding anyway_ she vowed silently.

King Stannis and Arya's betrothed were on their way. Set to arrive in a fortnight. She made preparations secretly and planned to leave the morning of their arrival. _I'll go to Jon on the Wall before I leave for Braavos._

Arya dreaded the thought of leaving her family and home again, but it did not outweigh the dread of her impending marriage. She tried to spend as much time as possible with her brothers before her time ran out. She conversed with Bran in the library, trained with Rickon in the yard, and dined with both of them every night. Her time with them was going too quickly and she found herself depressed at the thought of leaving them a second time. But she had to. She was never meant to be a lady.

Arya awoke the morning of the Kings arrival a good time before the sun. Her training with the Faceless Men helped her tremendously in preparing her secret departure. Nobody would know she left until she was long gone.

She dressed in her favorite riding trousers, tunic, and a heavy cloak and packed a spare set for the journey along with Needle and a few loaves of bread from the kitchens. She pulled up the hood of her cloak and made her way to the stables.

_Swift as a deer._

The stable boy on hand had luckily fallen asleep on the job and Arya somehow managed to get a horse ready without waking him.

_Quiet as a shadow._

Arya was walking the horse through the hunting gate, which was rarely guarded, when she looked to her right and saw it.

The white bark and red leaves of the giant Weirwood called to her. She hesitated a moment as her Fathers face floated into her mind. She couldn't leave without saying a proper goodbye.

The sun was just starting to rise so she knew she had to be quick about it, Arya lead her horse into the Godswood and knelt before the ancient tree. She had forgotten how the Weirwood use to frighten her until she looked upon its gruesome face, its bleeding eyes staring straight through her.

_Father, Mother, Robb;_

_I miss you, I love you, I'm sorry._

_Goodbye_

Arya's hands flew to her face and she sobbed for the first time in nearly 6 years. She sobbed for her dead family. She sobbed for the family she had left but was abandoning again. She sobbed for Nymeria. She sobbed for herself.

Once she regained control of herself, Arya made to leave. She was just getting to her feet when the rustling leaves of someone approaching caught her ear. Arya quickly unsheathed Needle as the huge black direwolf entered the Godswood, soon after followed by its master.

"Oh, I..uh- sorry Arya I thought everyone was still asleep." Rickon looked around and noticed the horse and then her supplies. He didn't say anything at first a knowing smile appeared when he finally broke the silence.

"I've thought about running almost every day since I got here." The confession was like a sucker punch to her stomach.

"Rickon you can't leave!" She said in a voice sounding much younger than her 17 years. "We just found each other again."

"I don't belong here Arya, I barely remember it, I barely remember you and Bran and Sansa. How can you miss me so much if you barely know me?"

He looked so young then. Like the lost little boy he was. She couldn't bare the thought of him feeling like he didn't belong. Feeling like an outsider. Arya walked the distance between her and her baby brother and hugged him so hard she thought he might break.

"I'll stay if you stay." He whispered to her.

The tears rolled freely down her cheeks for the second time that morning.

"Rickon, even if I stay it won't be for long. If I stay I'll just be shipped down to Storms End, what's the difference?"

"We will know where you are, that you're safe, and that we can visit and write whenever we want."

_Gods when did he become so wise?_

And at that moment, hugging her baby brother in the Godswood, Arya knew what had to be done.


	2. Chapter 2

Steel and Snow- Gendry 1

They were sitting around the counsel table in the Red Keep when he heard the news.

It still felt strange for him to be here, he didn't know what he was doing. He knew nothing of politics and ruling besides the basics they were still trying to teach him.

He was sitting at the table along with King Stannis, Melisandre, Varys and Davos, listening. He might not always understand what they were talking about but he listened, taking in all the details and information. He did not trust them. King Stannis, everyone told him was a just and honorable man, but he was also hard and cold and unfeeling.

Davos was the only council member Gendry took a liking to. He was smart, fair, humble and he told it how it was, whether the King wanted to hear it or not. He started off in Flea Bottom just as Gendry had, he admired Davos.

It had been 3 years since all this nonsense began. Stannis's bannermen had come around the inn one evening and the comparisons started. "Like seeing a ghost" they said "Gods be good".

Of course he had no idea what they were talking about until he was brought before the King himself and legitimized as the eldest living son of Robert Baratheon and heir to Storms End.

It's had been like watching someone else's life since then. He was given nice clothes and servants and guards, even though he argued he didn't need nor want them. _Just leave me to my work. _

During these small council meetings he always stayed silent. Never speaking unless spoken to, which didn't happen often. He's just a bastard blacksmith, he doesn't belong on the Kings council. But he goes all the same. Listening and learning as much as he can.

"I saw a marriage in the flames." The Red priestess said. "A marriage of a stag to a wolf to mend the bond that once held 2 great houses together."

Gendry looked up at the strange woman. He would never admit it but he feared her unnatural powers.

"Shireen is far too young to speak of marriages woman." Stannis says to the foreign woman. Cutting off Gendry's train of thought. Stag is Baratheon, I'm a Baratheon now.

"Who said anything about Shireen?" Melisandre replied is her heavy accent.

Gendry's looked up from the parchment he was staring at to the red priestess.

_Please be Edric. Please be Edric. Please be Edric._ He pleaded internally.

"The Stark girl has been married to The Lord of the vale for almost a year now, or have you forgotten?" Davos input with a hint of malice. He didn't trust the priestess either.

Stark? The realization hits him at the same time the painful memory of his friend does.

Direwolf is sigil of House Stark, stupid.

"I have heard recent tales of a lost wolf girl returning to the north."

His heart stops as he eyes the eunuch.

Could it be? How would he know this?

"The younger one? A- Artha..Alys..?" Stannis asked

"Arya." He corrected his uncle sharply, forgetting his place.

The counsel eyed him strangely because he never speaks, much less to insult the kings intelligence by correcting him in front of his advisors. Gendry was there to listen and learn, nothing more.

"Pardon, Your Grace." Gendry quickly bowed his head in respect.

"Yes, Arya it was. So she is alive then?" Stannis eyed Gendry before turning to Varys.

"Oh very much so it would seem." He replied smoothly

"Good. Send a Raven to Lord Stark in, we shall propose a union of our houses." The King stood to leave.

Gendry's heart was racing as he took in all the information. Arya is alive. Arya is safe in Winterfell. She is alive, and to be married. His mind went blank.

Wait.

"Who? Who are you marrying her to?" Gendry asked the king a little too aggressively, pushing himself up to stand.

Davos grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back down into his seat roughly.

"Relax boy." Davos warned under his breath

"What other stag would the wolf girl marry?" Melisandre answered

The wheels in his mind were turning.

_Edric is closer to her age. Edric is of noble birth. Gods she's going to marry Edric._

"Edric?" He finally asked sounding defeated.

He looked around the table at everyone's curious eyes. Varys gave a small chuckle and smiled at him. Stannis was simply getting annoyed. They all looked at him as if he were simple.

"You Gendry. You will marry the Stark girl, that's the end of it." His Uncle said while leaving the room.

Gendry stayed long after the others had left to gather himself.

He tried to figure out the emotions and feelings going on inside him. Mostly he was relieved to hear Arya was alive, a part of him had always blamed himself for her running away from the brotherhood in the first place.

His next biggest feeling was that of nervousness. He was going to see his best friend again after all this time. He never had many friends, and Arya and him were bound forever by their experiences on the road, at Haranhall, and with the brotherhood.

He had never been part of someone's pack before. But she made him part of hers. Until he left her.

He would regret that decision almost every day for the next 6 years.

She won't want to marry me. She'll want to beat me after leaving her. She'll want to beat me for simply having to marry anyone at all.

He was very nervous, almost scared to see her again.

But he _did_ want to see her. To hug her and be near her and tell her he was sorry. Sorry for being such a bullheaded bastard.

After the response from Lord Stark the King and his court started making arrangements to head north.

Since he heard that The Lord of Winterfell agreed in the marriage proposal all of Gendry's time was spent in the castle forge.

Bracelets necklaces and rings are what the others told him to make for her. They knew how talented he was, but clearly they didn't know Arya.

At first he sketched. He drew up at least 10 daggers and helms he thought she might like, each one better than the last. Then he remembered her sword she used to carry around, Needle. It was a brilliant little thing, perfect for her then 10 year old frame. He thought of making a bigger sword for her, still small like he imagined her to be but big enough so that she won't outgrow it again.

He actually managed to get his hands of some valerian steel, according to Varys who said it once belonged to the horrid King Joffrey, who had forged it from previous Lord Stark's greatsword Ice.

_Perfect._


End file.
